Crystal Line
by Zulaya
Summary: Maki Aizawa had always wondered about the crystal her grandmother had given her, but when it warps her to another time period she really begins to ask questions. Cancelled
1. Stowaway

**I don't own Avatar. Or anything else that might be mentioned and copyrighted. Hope you like, it's my first slightly frightening attempt at fanfiction. :3

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Maki fingered absent mindedly at the crystal strung around her neck as she made her way down the empty street. The black crystal was cool to the touch; Maki's grandmother had given it to her at her last birthday with an enigmatic smile and a wink. She had always wondered just what that was about, as her grandmother had always had a liking for the mystical that her family found odd. Last year the woman had said nothing during her summer visit because Midsummer's Night was 'so magical that it was dangerous to talk at all'. The corners of Maki's mouth twitched upward in a small smile at the memory. Despite all the weirdness, she had taken a liking to the thing.

A black leotard clung to her skin in the heat, but she barely took notice of it. Another time, Maki might have wished that she had brought clothes to change out of after dance class. Perhaps a loose t-shirt with a funny saying on it or something. But at the moment, she was so tired that a good deal of her concentration was on keeping hold of her dance bag and walking. The leotard, tights, shorts, and leg warmers ensemble would have to do for the moment. She hitched the bag swinging at her side a bit farther up her shoulder, suddenly wishing she hadn't crammed so much in it. It felt like her shoulders were going to drop off from the weight.

Maki suddenly blinked in the process of brushing a wavy lock of hair out of her eyes and stared at the ground. She could have sworn that something was glinting on the pavement. A penny maybe? She could have used the luck. Maki knelt down, limbs creaking from the last three hours of exercise and squinted. Nothing was there except... wait! Maybe if she tilted her head to the side... yes! Maki felt a small bubble of pride rise to the surface of her mind as the sparkly thing came into view, but it evaporated in the face of curiosity and confusion. It looked like somebody had tried to draw a pentacle on the sidewalk, although why somebody would do that in the middle of town Maki didn't know.

Curiosity finally got the better of her. She was about to reach down to touch the strange markings when her crystal necklace began to glow. Maki felt her sense of balance vanish as she fell back on the pavement in alarm.

The Markings were glowing.

She squealed in alarm and scrambled to her feet, ready to run as soon as things got too strange. She wasn't given the option. The ground seemed to vanish beneath her in a flash of light and color, and she fell. Maki was immediately enclosed in a tunnel of light. She could barely make anything out through the swirl of colors, but she managed to discern a pattern amidst the erratic flashes. In order it went a bright swirl of blue, purple, and gold that seemed to dance like the wind; shades that varied from deepest navy to the near white hue of ice; a slightly overwhelming display of earthen tones, and a shock of fiery color.

It felt like forever, but it was probably only half a minute before Maki's feet met solid ground again. Her knees collapsed before she could get a good look at where she was. Maki felt a horrible tremor begin to take hold of her body. What had just happened? It was like being in one of those falling dreams, except she had actually landed somewhere. Maki pinched her arm. Hard. She gasped from the pain, but the sensation was overwhelmed by a mixture of horror and fear. It was definitely. Not a dream.

Emotion suddenly reversed. Wherever she was, she had to get back home. The problem was how to do that. She gathered her thoughts together and got to her feet, brushing off a bit of sparkly stuff that clung to her clothes. A reluctant sigh escaped Maki's lips as she scanned the room. All and all, it was pretty much empty. The place was full to the brim with dozens of crates that had a rather burnt smell about them, and the only other living inhabitant was a spider that had made its home in a corner of the ceiling. But there wasn't much point in asking a spider for directions, now was there?

She grabbed her bag, which had miraculously wound up there with her, and hitched it up, onto her aching shoulders. The adrenaline rush from being warped was all but gone as Maki tiptoed silently through the first exit she spotted. There was light coming form it; did that mean a way outside? A small smile began to play across her lips as she hugged the wall of the room before finally darting out of the door. She was suddenly faced with the upper deck of a boat that was... in the middle of the ocean! The smile gave way to a horrified expression. There was no land in sight. Maki's bag slipped off her shoulder and hit the ground with a loud 'THUMP'.

"God... where am I?" whispered Maki, a quiver raking her body. Great. The necklace her grandmother had given her had teleported her to a boat in the middle of nowhere. Despite the shock of fear that was slowly creeping through her delicate form, Maki had to question just what the woman had been planning. At least the place had been deserted. So far she had not come across anybody, but Maki had a feeling that her luck wouldn't last. She was right.

"What are you doing here!"

Maki's head snapped around to find a man in a red uniform glaring down at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The lump of fear that had risen in her throat wouldn't let her. Maki settled for grabbing a fish from a nearby crate and brandishing it at the man. He smirked and stepped forward, hand held out for the 'weapon'.

"Just give me the fish, and nobody gets hurt."

Maki wanted to scream. She felt like her legs were going to give out, yet the guy looked like he was having fun. FUN, for heaven's sake! Maki nearly fell over when the sound of footsteps caught her ears. The guy in armor had been joined by another crew member. Maki noted the fact that he was wearing the same type of armor, but not the same expression. He looked curious instead of menacing, but obviously not to eager to help. Maki felt her flicker of hope wilt. The new guy didn't seem to notice, as he raised an eyebrow and stroked his moustache. Evidently he wasn't as impulsive as his comrade when it came to attacking visitors.

"What's going on?"

"I found a kid on deck," the first guy snorted.

"She can't be from the crew. Must be a stowaway. You didn't leave something open when we last docked, did you?"

"What makes you think I would?" snapped the first guy, who was going red as a beet. Maki nearly dropped her fish at his harsh tone. Given her luck- which was getting worse by the minute- they would chuck her overboard and leave her to fend for herself in the middle of the ocean until something big and scaly with too many teeth ate her and- Maki shuddered slightly, forcing her imagination to stay in line. It was at that moment that the guards began to argue amongst themselves.

"What? I'm not allowed to ask a question?" asked the guy wish the moustache.

"It was a stupid question."

"Spare me. Let's just take this pathetic ragamuffin to the captain and get back to-"

"Who are you calling pathetic!"

Maki dropped the fish and clapped her hands over her mouth. Her face had gone white as a sheet as the blood drained from it. The words had gotten out before she even knew they were there, yet they hung in the air like some terrible omen. The heads of the men practically turned as one to stare at her as though amazed by her bold statement. Judging from their expressions, nobody had talked to them like that without regretting it. Maki took the few seconds of shocked silence to consider her options. She could, a) beg for forgiveness, or b) put up a tough front and hope they bought it. They were both pretty low options, but even in such a desperate situation, Maki's pride flat out refused to let her beg for anything, including her life. Stupid pride.

The two men finally snapped out of astonished-staring mode and their expressions became stony.

"Care to say that again?" asked Beet-face, somehow redder than before.

Maki scrunched her face into a look of mingled apathy and amusement.

"I asked who you were calling a pathetic ragamuffin. I'd like to hope that it wasn't me you were referring to, being called short has always been a pet peeve," she smirked slightly, but her insides were boiling and her mind was racing. _This isn't going to work... they'll see through it and toss me overboard..._ whined her subconscious. Maki forced it back, now alert for any signs of being hurled overboard. Moustache and Beet-face looked at each other for a silent moment.

"Let the captain deal with her?" asked Moustache.

"Works for me." Beet-face smiled as though he knew something unpleasant was in store for her. Both men grabbed her arms and promptly dragged her across the deck.

Maki tried to jerk her arms away as genuine irritation flared within her. "If you want me to go somewhere, just tell me." she snapped, "Dragging people around is just plain rude."

Beet-face opened his mouth with obvious intention to spit out a scathing reply, but Moustache shaking his head was enough to shut him up. Maki wrinkled her nose slightly. Both men were giving off the faint odor of something burning, and her arms were beginning to feel a bit warm in their grip. Maki stoically ignored these oddities, but was nonetheless relieved when they let go. Moustache shoved her in his desired direction and kept her walking. Her hard blue gaze could have burned a hole in the ship as she was led below deck. They soon reached a door with a fire shaped emblem attached at eye level. Maki's eyebrows twitched upward involuntarily at the symbol as Moustache knocked on the door. There was a muffled shout, a silent moment before the door swung open. She couldn't see the room very well, but she knew the captain was in there. Maki's insides squirmed yet again. All she could do was pray that whoever they were, they were in a good mood.

"Get moving," Beet-face prodded her in the back.

Maki glared at him, but held herself high and proud as she walked through the door.

* * *

Prince Zuko was not in a good mood.

Of course, this wasn't all too uncommon these days. Between the Avatar evading his capture more and more often and the suspicious signs that Admiral Zhou wanted him dead, it wasn't surprising. The youth was having some of the worst luck in the world. Zuko's face was paler than ever as he surveyed the maps spread out in front of him. For days he had been attempting to discern which direction his prey was heading, but to no avail. The Avatar was one slippery character, and his frequent escapes were not encouraging. It was, at best, a depressing situation, and it was affecting almost everyone. Whatever brought this ship out of its mental rut would have to be pretty unnerving.

"Uncle!"

Iroh looked from the game board (He had been experimenting a pai-sho strategy on some unfortunate crew member), eyebrows twitching upward at the sight of Zuko's irritated expression. His voice was slightly gravelly as he addressed his nephew. "Yes, Prince Zuko?"

"Tell the crew to turn the boat around and head south," the youth's twisted into a look of satisfaction. It looked quite painful.

Iroh nodded, barked a few orders into a metal receiver, and returned to his game. A small smirk crossed his visage at the sight of the game board. His opponent had tried to use his momentary distraction to move a piece to his advantage. Iroh twitched his hand so that a small tongue of flame flickered in the man's direction. His opponent flinched, but grudgingly moved the game pieces to their original place. Iroh had raised his hand to move a tile when a knock on the door made him look up. He watched in silence as Zuko looked up, furrowed his brows in suspicion, and yell- quite literally- 'come in'.

The door burst open to reveal two crew members and a stranger. Dressed in the most bizarre clothing that any of them had ever set eyes on and looking quite pissed, there was little doubt that this newcomer was not accustomed to life at sea. Her near black hair hung in wisps over a heart shaped face, eyes flashing a dangerous red-black. She hissed in protest as the two guards accompanying her shoved her through the door. She stumbled for a moment before righting herself. Though not appearing to be particularly impressive, the girl standing between two of the crew members had achieved one of the most unwavering presence that Iroh had ever seen. The old general nearly laughed out loud at the sight, but whatever humor might have been gathering was quashed as Zuko leapt to his feet. The prince's expression seemed torn between curiosity and fury as he surveyed the scene.

"What is this?"

One of the crew members, a moustached man by the name of Goro, shrugged. "We don't know how she got in, but she isn't one of the crew and-"

"And she was quite rude," interrupted his partner, Matsu. Iroh raised an eyebrow, suddenly regretting putting these particular men on guard (The poor lads were a bit dim, but they followed order excellently.), but his attention remained on the situation at large.

"So you brought her here, why?" asked Zuko, his expression one of forced calm. The youth was nearing the edge of his temper. Why wouldn't he be? A stowaway had just been discovered, and he was relying on a guess to help him find the Avatar. It was amazing that he didn't explode on the spot. Matsu seemed to notice this, and was therefore looking more uncomfortable by the second. The girl snorted as the man scratched his chin awkwardly. She seemed decidedly smug for somebody in her situation.

"We thought you would be able to sort it out," said Goro quickly, "You are in charge, after all."

The girl began to finger something around her neck at this. Zuko merely narrowed his eyes till they were little more than slits of suspicion. Sensing danger, Iroh decided to act before things got out of hand.

"Perhaps we could speak with this... stowaway, ourselves. I am sure she would be willing to explain herself with the right motivation."

Iroh clapped his hands together in what was unmistakably an agreeable gesture. He scanned the room, alert for any signs of an argument about to flare up, but nobody seemed to object. Evidently the crew didn't want to try giving advice with the collective mood so... dangerous. Iroh then turned his gaze to his nephew, but Zuko did not argue. Silently congratulating himself on averting disaster, the general waved a hand, signaling that Matsu and Goro should leave. They obeyed, but there was little doubt in Iroh's mind that due to their efforts, the story would have reached every corner of the ship by sundown. Nevertheless, the old General got to his feet and strode toward their 'guest.' The girl stiffened as he neared, ready to be yelled at for intruding.

"Sit down, we wont hurt you," Iroh smiled and gestured toward a free chair, ignoring his nephew's mutter of 'speak for yourself'. The girl didn't move. At least, not at first. After a few encouraging nods, Iroh finally managed to get her to move. She stared all through this, her gaze leaving Iroh solely to make sure she didn't hit anything. At long last, the girl finally sunk unceremoniously into a chair, her whole body tense despite her stubborn posture. Iroh settled himself into a parallel seat and peered at her. There were so many questions to ask, so many things about this stranger that would have to be revealed in time, but the essentials would have to come first.

"Now, there is no reason to be so tense," he smiled amiably, "I am General Iroh, and this is my nephew, Prince Zuko. What is your name?"

The girl simply stared for a moment before regaining control of her vocal chords. "I'm Maki. Maki Aizawa."

Iroh nodded approvingly. "And how did you get on this ship?"

The girl called Maki paused at this and pursed her lips in thought. She was fingering something as she did so, Iroh noticed for a second time, but he couldn't see what it was. How odd. After what felt like forever, Maki spoke.

"I have no idea."

Zuko exploded. "This is getting us nowhere!" he rounded on the girl, eyes ablaze. She looked decidedly taken aback, but, shockingly, did not flinch as he snapped at her, "Where did you come from, why are you here, what are you doing here, and what do you want. Answer. Now." He snorted and folded his arms as if it made everything final. Iroh could only knead his forehead in frustration. Accustomed though he was to his nephew's random outbursts, one taking place in front of a guest was not encouraging. The girl called Maki even seemed to be trying to get a word in, but wasn't given the chance. The old general finally hushed Zuko's interrogation with a raise of his hand. His nephew glared, but fell silent.

"Finally!" Maki burst out, her face a magnificent shade of magenta from irritation. She had jumped to her feet somewhere during Zuko's rant, her fists clenched. "And for the record, I come from the planet Earth, I have no idea why I'm here, my business is none of your concern, and all I want is to get home!" She glared at the fire prince, who glared right back.

"Pardon me," Iroh found himself interrupting for the second time during their encounter, "But I do believe that we must come to a decision of what to do now that she is on board, prince Zuko. Despite our predicament, it would be dishonorable and cruel to leave her floating on her own," Iroh nodded wisely.

The fire prince seemed to be forcing himself to stay calm. The old general had to give him credit for not setting something on fire, as he normally would have done at this point.

"And why should we keep her here?" he snapped.

"I can cook a little bit!" Maki burst out, "And I can perform- sort of. I'm better at singing than dancing…" she trailed off thoughtfully before snapping her fingers. But whatever idea she might have had seemed to be cause for embarrassment, as she blinked shyly up at the two firebenders. "Uhm, can I have a glass of water?"

Zuko's face was contorted with some unnamable emotion, but Iroh sighed and grabbed a mug, filling it deftly with water. The girl called Maki picked up the mug and poured its contents on the floor. Zuko opened his mouth, expression none other than one of rage, when something strange happened. Maki's features became stony raised her hand above the puddle, but by then Iroh didn't need telling to figure it out.

It was as though somebody had turned off the sound.

The two firebenders watched in silence as a thin stream of water snaked its way into thin air. Maki twirling her fingers so that it danced in a hypnotic swirl before she guided it back into the mug. She looked up, proud that her strange talent hadn't backfired as it so often had, only to find that both men were shocked. Iroh couldn't believe that she seemed perplexed by their surprise. Why wouldn't they be surprised? A stowaway on their ship had revealed an ability they had never expected to find on this ship, one that would have gotten her killed had she shown it to their rival, Admiral Zhou. As for what would happen now, Iroh couldn't say. But there was one thing that was definite.

This girl was a waterbender.


	2. Maki the Cook

Maki simply couldn't understand it. She thought that her ability to move water with her a mere thought was a gift, something that made her special. But the looks on the faces of the general and the prince were beginning to convince her otherwise. Deciding that any other talent would be better left secret, Maki set the refilled mug down on the table and gazed shyly at the floor. Her old terror of being thrown overboard was resurfacing as Zuko broke the silence.

"There is no way that I'm letting a waterbender stay on my ship," he folded his arms defiantly. Maki gawked, eyes alight with indignation.

"You jerk!" the water in the mug bubbled dangerously and her voice rose, "Why can't I stay!"

"Because you are being disrespectful for one thing," the prince was beginning to smell of something burning. He glared down at Maki, who glared right back, eyes a blazing red. Neither looked away nor blinked, but Maki found herself fingering her crystal nonetheless. The chain had broken when she fell through the portal, which was why it wasn't still strung around her neck. While Zuko didn't notice this, Iroh did. The old general bit back a gasp as he caught sight of the thing. It was… no, it couldn't be. Well, perhaps. There was only one way to find out.

"Miss Maki."

Both teenagers looked up from their silent battle of wills. Maki's orange gaze bore into Iroh, but he did not waver. "Yeah? What do you need?"

"Might I have a look at that crystal you are holding?"

Maki glanced down at her necklace. The severe planes of her face were painted with suspicion as she faced on Iroh. "Why do you want to see it?"

The old firebender shook his head, "No reason, it merely caught my eye. But if you are that concerned, you have my word that I will not try anything."

Zuko merely glared at his uncle, although a small, more reserved part of him was surprised. Iroh rarely went to such lengths as giving his word to get something. At least, nothing apart from tea. But the Maki girl seemed to deem it a solid enough promise, as she held out the crystal. Iroh took it delicately, but suddenly dropped it with a yelp. Maki jumped in alarm and rushed to retrieve it, holding it close as Zuko went to help his uncle. She didn't seem ashamed of her confusion.

"What did you do to him you wi-" Zuko was silenced as Iroh put a comforting hand on the prince's shoulder.

"Do not worry about me, I am fine," he grunted slightly, but a bemused smile had spread across his face, "Miss Maki, I believe that we will be able to let you stay on this ship," Zuko looked furious, so Iroh decided to add something that might calm his nephew down, "That is, on the condition that you cook and clean for the crew. It should not be too hard a task," Iroh added despite the furious look from Zuko, "I will be able to show you around the ship-"

"UNCLE!" The prince seemed unable to contain himself any longer. "This is my ship, if anybody is going to say whether or not she stays, it will be me," he turned to face Maki, eyes narrowed dangerously. The girl merely raised an eyebrow and tried to look as unimpressed as possible. They glared at each other for about a minute before Zuko came to a conclusion.

"She can stay, but she will have to pull her weight. Cooking and cleaning for the crew ought to do it. This ship is a pit, and it's not like women can do much else," he snorted and strode stoically toward the door before pausing to glare at his uncle. Maki's face was contorted in a silent snarl at his comment. "But you will be in charge of her affairs, uncle Iroh. Maybe then you'll learn not to let stowaways run amok on my ship."

They watched as Zuko stormed from the room. The scent of burning wood still lingering about him as he shot Maki a glare. When she thought he was out of earshot, the girl allowed herself to relax a bit. She turned to face the old general, observing him thoughtfully. Her uncanny sixth sense told her that he wasn't as explosive as his nephew. Maki tried not to smirk, the memory still fresh in her mind. It was somehow ironic that a boy her age had control over a ship this big.

Shoving this oddity to the corner of her mind, Maki found herself smiling slightly. Iroh merely raised an eyebrow, but he seemed a bit more at ease than before.

"Not very subtle, is he?" Maki jerked a finger in the prince's direction, "Oh, and just out of curiosity, what happened back there with my necklace?"

Iroh smiled slightly. "It seems your necklace is quite… special. And do not worry about my nephew. He is often temperamental like that. Tell me, have you ever heard of pai-sho?"

"Pai-who?" asked Maki, utterly lost.

"I have much to teach you then. Come along," Iroh chuckled mysteriously as he beckoned for her to follow.

Maki stared for a moment before scrambling after the man who talked like a jedi knight, her dance bag swinging pell-mell behind her.

"OH GROSS!"

It was late afternoon now, and Maki was staring in disgust at the filthy room Iroh had led her to. Her day as of late had not been too positive. Although her sense of direction had fled, Maki was sure now that she was in the middle of the ocean; the crew stared like there was no tomorrow as she passed; and she had seen hide nor hair of the prince who had yelled at her. It was a bit of a pity. Maki was looking forward to a good shouting match. She hadn't had one in a long time, and Zuko seemed like the perfect victim.

But such things were better left for other times. Maki had since shed her dancing gear for a spare set of clothes that she had been assured had never been worn by the crew. The boots were a little large and she had needed to tie a rope around her waist to keep the shirt from going Marylin Monroe on her (I.E. flying up with each burst of wind), but they fit well enough. Maki had also managed to stow her things safely in the room given to her in exchange for her cleaning and cooking skills, though was beginning to regret the latter. The last thing she had tried to cook had been an instant pizza of sorts, and her parents hadn't let her use the stove unsupervised ever since. At least her mother had managed to teach a few recipes before she had wound up on the boat. Maki had, so far, managed to stay optimistic that something resembling food would come out after a few tries and that she would be able to stay on the ship.

Almost all of that optimism had vanished when Iroh showed her the kitchen.

The place was in complete disarray. Pots, pans, and dishes were scattered throughout the room, piled on top of one another in dirt encrusted stacks that even Maki, a girl who's room had been christened 'the black hole', was disgusted by. A rancid smell was wafting about, and Maki was almost positive that she saw something with too many legs go crawling amidst the rubbish heap. Note to self, start tossing the rotten food overboard.

She turned to Iroh, eyebrows raised and her lips forming a severe line. The general looked a bit embarrassed at the state of the kitchen, but he managed to walk toward the door without gagging, which was commendable in Maki's book. Iroh paused solely to point out where the cleaning supplies were before making his way to the door. Maki didn't hesitate to call after him.

"Just so you know, dinner might be a little late tonight!"

Iroh simply chuckled as he left, leaving Maki all by her lonesome. The girl tucked her necklace into her shirt, tied her hair, and started sorting through a pile of plates. It was going to be a long day.

Prince Zuko strode down the halls of his ship, his temper still bubbling just below the surface. He couldn't believe that he, the prince of the Fire Nation, had allowed his uncle to let a stowaway stay on his ship. As tedious a matter as it was, the youth couldn't get it out of his head. Something about that girl was downright unnerving. Zuko snorted, irritated at himself for getting so worked up, and allowed a small ball of flame go flying down the hall. It met the far wall with a satisfying hiss as Zuko walked into the mess hall. It was, after all, dinner time.

"What the-"

The prince was met with a bizarre sight. Almost every man in the crew was gathered around a large cooking pot that was miraculously clean, and behind the pot was… the girl from earlier! She looked more ragged than ever, and she was covered in some sort of slime that had undoubtedly come from the kitchen, but it was definitely her. She seemed to be serving the crew some sort of soup. Zuko's face contorted with confusion as he absorbed the sight, which he quickly hid as his uncle's voice came booming from his side.

"Prince Zuko! Try some of this soup!" Iroh slapped his nephew jovially on the back, somehow managing to speak over the rabble, "I didn't even know that we had enough ingredients for such stuff. I guess keeping her on board was a good idea after all, her cooking sure beats that gruel Lieutenant Toshi used to make." The old general let out a jolly laugh and began heading back to his seat, slurping as he went. Zuko stared for a moment, perplexed as he hadn't been in years, before reluctantly grabbing a bowl and attempting to get something to eat. He eventually managed to shove his way to the front of the line and get a bowlful to himself. The girl –Maki, wasn't it? - glared slightly at him, but filled the bowl without a word.

Zuko raised an eyebrow, silently daring her to say something sarcastic. He was almost disappointed when she didn't rise to the challenge, but began to shove his way through the gaggle of men nonetheless. The prince couldn't help but glance at the soup as he sat down in his usual corner. Whatever was getting his crew so worked up had better be good. It was. Of course, the stuff wasn't like the gourmet he had been served back before he was banished, but it seemed… actually palatable. Good, even, despite tasting decidedly burnt. Especially compared to the stuff they used to eat: a watery concoction consisting of water and stale carrots. Zuko scowled. He hated to admit that his uncle had been right in assigning her cook. Then again, Iroh was almost always right about that kind of thing, goofy though he was.

Feeling irritated, the prince stalked silently from the mess hall. He paused only to drop his bowl amidst the others.

* * *

Maki was surprised to find that living on a ship full of men wasn't as bad as she thought. Her most prominent fear was that they would jump on her in typical male perversion. When one of them tried to approach her when she was mopping, Maki had chased him down several hallways with her bucket in hand. A rumor must have been started, because after that, none of them bothered her. Much to Maki's surprise, they talked to her, even welcomed her. Some of them actually helped clean the pigsty that they called a kitchen, for which she was relieved. Cooking was hard enough as it was without having to watch out for bugs in the dishes.

Iroh, too, seemed to become favorable company. Although the general was weird, he treated Maki much more politely than pretty much anybody else. Although she couldn't help wondering what had happened on the first day she had shown up. It was only after a week that she dared bring the subject up, and even then the general seemed reluctant to share his thoughts. He just chuckled and went on trying to teach her pai-sho.

As for the prince… well, things could have been going better. A slow stream of curses escaped Maki's lips as she scrubbed at a bit of mold that had attached itself to the wall of Zuko's room. She had saved that dreaded place for last, due to the fact that every time she had encountered the prince, the tension in the room skyrocketed. Especially when she tried to have a sane conversation. Every time that happened, Zuko would just glare at her and stalk away. It was funny enough considering that Maki had an odd feeling that Zuko wasn't an ass at heart, and her odd feelings were usually right. Maki sighed irritably and scrubbed at the mold until it fell to the floor in a soggy mess. Next chance she got, she was going to ask General Iroh and find out what was going on.

"What the-"

A voice from behind caused Maki to turn around. The prince who stood in the doorway, looking more suspicious than ever.

"What are you doing in here?" asked Zuko. He was scowling down at her even as she stood up, but Maki found herself unfazed by this. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What does it look like? I'm cleaning just like a certain somebody told me to."

They glared at each other for a moment before Maki grabbed her bucket and made her way toward the door. She wasn't about to pick a fight with the one person who wanted her thrown overboard. It was only then that a thought struck her. Maki turned around to face the Zuko, who was examining his now shiny trunk to make sure all his possessions were still in place.

"I was wondering, next time we stop, could I get a new brush? This one is about ready to fall apart." She held up the brush. A few bristles fell out in the few seconds Zuko stared at it. Maki bit back a laugh, knowing that he couldn't refuse without sounding biased. "You see my point?"

Zuko seemed to notice this as well. He frowned for a moment before nodding. "Fine. We shall get you your precious brush," snarled the prince.

Maki just attached a dangerously fake smile to her face as she strode from the room. Maki: 1, Zuko: 0. She was making her way down the hall to return the bucket when she ran into something large and round. Looking up, Maki realized that it was none other than General Iroh. He beamed down at her as she stammered an apology.

"Do not worry, Maki. I am sure it was just an accident," he thumped her on the back and laughed, "By the way, have you seen my nephew?"

Maki raised an eyebrow sarcastically.

"Mr. Sunshine? He's back in his room." She jerked her thumb in the appropriate direction as Iroh chuckled.

"Ah, I suspected as much. I'm surprised he isn't getting ready for docking."

Maki's head whipped around. "We're docking?"

"Of course we are. Didn't anybody tell you?" Iroh looked surprised at her suddenly furious expression.

"No, Zuko didn't. Thank you for telling me, General Iroh." Maki nodded respectfully before storming toward her room. She had cleaned the ship, cooked decent food –a feat she was still incredibly proud of-, and her sarcastic view on the world had somehow cheered up the crew. How any of that had been possible, Maki didn't know. She was just thanking her lucky stars to be alive at this point. But the fact that she hadn't been told about docking was somehow setting off all the pent up frustration from the past week. There was no way that Maki was going to put up with Zuko's crap any longer. Next time she saw him, he was going to get a piece of her mind. And it wasn't going to be a good piece either.

With that thought lodged in her mind, Maki stowed away the cleaning materials and put on fresh clothing. Within minutes, she and some of the crew were gathered in front of the door. Those that didn't need to help with docking rushed out with gusto. Maki had a scowl on her face as she hung around the entrance, hoping to catch the fire prince.

After about five minutes, however, there was no sign of his leaving the ship. Maki could only fume as she stalked off to the nearest clothing shop. General Iroh had been teaching her pai-sho, and was extremely pleased to find that she was good at it. Of course, it wasn't saying much since it reminded her a bit of chess, and she was pretty good at chess. As for the other crew members… well, let's just say that the money bag that dangled at Maki's side was starting to bulge with her winnings.

Maki didn't hesitate with her selections, a few sets of basic travel clothing and an embroidered yellow kimono. Truth be told, she was just relieved to not have to wear the crew's spares anymore. So it was with a positive attitude that Maki explored the town. A few villagers suggested that she check out a nearby waterfall if she wanted to see something interesting. So that was where she went. There was time to in any case. Iroh had said that it would take a while to restock the ship, and Maki knew she could trust Iroh.

The villagers seemed a bit lest trustworthy. They seemed twitchy when she had talked to them, and Maki couldn't help but wonder if they were scared of something. This thought was quickly replaced by one of curiosity as the sound of running water met Maki's ears. She had reached the stream at last! Maki's pace began to quicken, an excited expression painted across her face. It must be the waterfall! There was no other explanation for it. But then….

Nothing. No waterfall. The water that had made the noise barely qualified as a river. Maki ground her teeth with fury and was about to storm back to the village when something caught her eye. She stopped in her tracks and stared in shock at the two figures hidden in the trees, and was at once relieved that she had not been spotted. While she didn't recognize the other man, there was no doubt in her mind that the person now yelling about something called the 'avatar' was Prince Zuko.


	3. Arrows and Assassins

**Chapter three is here! stares around ECHO! Well, its' empty. Go figure. Anyhoo, I don't own Avatar, just Maki, the crystal, and the plot. I wanted to put a dream sequence in here, but it turns out I can't write them for squat. Enjoy and review. Or at least just enjoy.**

* * *

"You are going to tell me where the Avatar is staying, or you will sorely regret it." 

Maki watched in confusion as Zuko snarled at a suspicious looking middle aged man in noble's clothes. He seemed positively terrified of the fire prince who bore down on him. Maki could swear that he was about to cry as he stammered a response.

"I told you already, I d-d-don't know!" he wailed piteously, choking back tears with each word.

"Oh, you know," Zuko smirked, "And I know you know. I'll give you credit for keeping silent so long, but it's time to start talking."

Maki stared, utterly perplexed, as the youth she had thought was just a jerk for show intimidate a villager for a measly piece of information. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to move. Maki could just tell that if she tried to interfere, the results would be disastrous. That and she couldn't feel her legs. Around the time Zuko finished his 'interrogation', Maki regained control of her body. She was still shocked at what she had just seen as she made to return to the village, but something was niggling in the back of her mind. Maki sighed but turned. She knew from experience that it was unwise to ignore one's instincts, and she was right.

Three things happened at once.

A shrill whistle pierced the air as something came flying from the trees. Maki flinched, but was relieved to find herself uninjured when she looked up. Zuko couldn't have said the same. The fire prince had dropped his captive, who quickly scrambled away out of terror, and was clutching his side. Maki could barely discern a green feathered arrow sticking out from a gap in his armor. The look on his face was a painful combination of shock and fear. Tearing her eyes from a sight that made her insides feel like lead, Maki fingered her crystal. The cool black stone was comforting to the touch, and before she knew it, the girl was running in the direction of Zuko's fallen form.

Sure, it wasn't one of Maki's more brilliant ideas, and she would probably get killed saving the life of somebody who hated her, but Zuko had allowed Maki to stay on his ship. That simple decision had probably saved her life, so she might as well return the favor.

She sprinted to the riverbank, reaching it in the same moment that two masked figures leapt from the trees. On of them had a bow strung on their back. It didn't take an idiot to figure out that they were the ones who had fired that arrow. And Maki was no idiot. Time seemed to stand still in the moment that the three stared at each other before the fighting began. The two figures drew their weapons and planted themselves on either side of Maki and Zuko.

Centuries of waterbending instinct combined with pure panic to force her to act as one of the masked figures made a move. In a single fluid motion, Maki drew her hand to the side and brought a powerful jet of water crashing down on their attacker. Zuko's amazement at this bizarre turn of events was his only incentive to stay conscious as he watched his captive battle, as blood loss was draining him by the second. For somebody who had never had any formal training, she managed to hold her own against assassins, dodging their blows with agility only a dancer could posess. Ah, the irony of life.

Maki shrieked in alarm and drenched the bowman that advanced on her just as his partner leapt at her. She tried to sidestep, but was too late. The attacker slashed at her stomach with a dagger. Blade cut through cloth and flesh, causing her to leap back and grip her stomach in pain.

Her midriff was on fire as she staggered back, warm blood trickling through her fingers. The assassins rounded on her as though eager for an easy kill. She could even swear that they were chuckling to one another. Maki squinted upward, desperate to see clearly through the pain, only to find one of the assassins smirking down at her, knife in hand.

Her life didn't flash before her eyes as she let out a shriek that would put a fire alarm to shame. Running on adrenaline alone, Maki drew enough water to fill a small swimming pool from the river and sent it flying at the assassins. They clearly weren't ready for such an attack. The water hit them with so much force that the assassins went flying into nearby trees. Maki barely heard the 'thump' of bodies hitting the bark. Relief spread through her body as she realized that victory was hers. Maki clung to that feeling of relief as her body shut down for repairs.

* * *

Maki awoke to find a warm hand on her shoulder and the hard ground beneath her limp form. She had just been having the strangest dream, something about chasing a sparkly something through the fog and never being able to catch it. Said dream was quickly fading from as her mind struggled to regain consciousness. It was an effort to stay awake, but Maki wasn't too tired to find out what was going on. She cracked her eyes open slightly to find a worried face staring down at her. Maki faintly recognized him as the young lieutenant she had replaced as cook. Nice guy, actually, if not a bit air headed. Despite every inch of her body ached as though she had been beaten, she managed to creak out a few words. 

"Toshi… what happened?"

The man staring down at her let out a gasp of surprise at the sound. Maki grunted. The effort of speaking had sent a dull pain to her midriff but Toshi didn't seem to notice. He turned around and shouted to somebody nearby. Maki winced at the sound.

"General Iroh, she's awake!" called Toshi. There was a scuffling sound of somebody standing up, followed by footsteps. Maki squinted slightly as Iroh's face came into view. He was deathly pale, and he looked more fearful than she had ever thought he could be.

"Miss Maki! Thank the gods you are both alright. Are you well enough to speak? I have a few questions."

"Yeah, just give me a sec," Maki nodded and attempted to move her heavy limbs. Iroh immediately got the message and put a hand on her back to help her sit up. She winced, but forced the pain into submission as she sat up and braced herself against the ground with elbows. Maki blushed at seeing a strip of cloth tied tightly around her midriff. One of the men must have done it to keep her from loosing too much blood, but it was somehow embarrassing. Maki tilted her head to the side to gaze at Iroh before scanning the rest of the clearing. Prince Zuko was still unconscious and about five men were gathered around him, alert for any ominous signs. The old general still looked worried when Maki looked back at him.

"Alright, you wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes," Iroh's frown deepened, "I was wondering what happened here."

"Oh, that," Maki sighed and raked her memory. Zuko shouting about an 'Avatar', arrows, a battle…There were a few brief images before her memory flooded back. Maki clutched at her skull as she spoke, "I was looking for a waterfall and I saw Prince Zuko shaking somebody down about… what was it? Oh yeah, something about an Avatar. And then he got hit with an arrow and when I went over to try and help these two people jumped out of the trees and attacked us and…"

Maki felt the blood drain from her face.

"The assassins! What happened to the assassins!" she stared wide eyed at Iroh, fear painted across her delicate features. The old general shook his head sadly.

"There was nobody here except for you and Zuko. I am afraid that the assassins you speak of got away."

Maki felt her stomach vanish. If they had gotten away, there was a chance that they would strike again. And if she couldn't fight them off the next time…

Unbidden tears began to stream from Maki's eyes. She wiped them, furious with herself for crying in front of Iroh the crew. Her indomitable image would be ruined, but that was the least of her worries. Maki ignored the pain from her stomach as she drew her knees of up her chest and buried her face in the fabric of her shirt. All the fury she had toward the fire prince was dissolving. What was the point of being mad at someone if you couldn't even yell at them about it? Maki hiccupped in alarm when Iroh patted her comfortingly on the back. She looked up, eyes red from sobbing, and watched as Iroh got to his feet and addressed the crew.

"Finish loading the ship. We will set off as soon as it's restocked," the old general frowned, his voice now commanding, "Return here once you are done loading. Miss Maki and I are going to get prince Zuko back to the ship."

The soldiers peered at each other in confusion, but none of them seemed to find it wise to disobey Iroh. Maki watched as the twenty or so men left for the village. Then it was silent She felt her mood reverse as Iroh helped her up, curiosity suddenly plaguing the surface of her mind. Maki narrowed her eyes slightly when the old general strode toward Zuko and motioned for her to come over. She limped toward Iroh. The old general was glancing between the unconscious form of his nephew and Maki herself. She suddenly found herself fingering her crystal as Iroh settled his gaze on her.

"Are you going to just leave him here?"

Maki blinked in confusion. "Hunh?"

"I was wondering if you would be so kind as to carry my nephew back to the ship. I am too old and too tired to carry him back myself, so could you help me?" Iroh smiled innocently at her, but Maki didn't believe that smile for a second. The old general was up to something. But since he was the only other one who could have her thrown off the boat, Maki decided to let him have his way. She hid a scowl and attempted to lift Zuko. Only after five minutes did Maki manage to get the fire prince into proper piggy back position. Her muscles were beginning to ache already as she and Iroh trudged back to the ship. Maki just prayed that Zuko didn't regain consciousness while she carried him back to the ship. Something told her that he would strangle her if he did.

By the time they got back to the ship, every muscle in Maki's body was on fire. She cursed herself for allowing Iroh to manipulate her so, but an unbidden instinct kept mentioning that the old general was testing her somehow. Instead of showing any signs of weakening, Maki contented herself by glaring at everything that came into sight and venting her anger into her limbs. They reached the ship by nightfall. It took every iota of her remaining strength to not just drop Zuko onto one of the cots. Iroh thanked her and asked a soldier to make him some tea as Maki collapsed onto a nearby cot. She was going to have to rest for a second if there was any chance of making dinner, or even getting to her room.

Maki buried her face in her pillow, curling up like a cat on her cot. Maybe she would stay there for more than a second. The cots were so soft and comfortable; it was as though she would drift off in to dreams there and then…

* * *

As it turned out, Maki was a heavy sleeper, but she felt magnificently refreshed when she awoke. Maki cracked her eyes open to find that the room was empty save for the ship's medic and herself. The prince must have recovered from the attack and left, she decided. Maki peered around to find that the medic was bustling around, muttering to himself as he prepared bandages. He dropped the gauze when he spotted Maki trying to sit up. 

"Miss! Don't sit up!" gasped the medic. He rushed over to Maki's cot, a panicked look upon his visage as he forced her to lay back down. Maki sent him a glare that could have frozen magma.

"And just why not? I feel fine."

The medic flinched, but somehow persisted. There was a silent battle of wills in which Maki gave the medic enough death glares to bring down an army before he gave persuasion another shot.

"Stop that! And stay still before you make your injuries worse! You may feel fine but you are still injured and General Iroh told me to make sure you recover," the medic snorted irritably as Maki reluctantly gave up her struggle for mobility. Her mind was full to bursting with curiosity as the medic rambled on,"He's one to talk, making you carry Prince Zuko all the way to the ship on your own. It's a miracle you survived as it was after that attack without his help…"

Maki rolled her eyes as the medic went back to preparing gauze. The man could ramble like there was no tomorrow, that was for sure. She rolled onto her back and examined the bandages wrapped around her stomach. Her insides felt like lead when she realized that the medic was right in his diagnosis. She may feel fine, but she had barely withstood the attack. But how on earth did Maki manage to survive carrying Zuko all the way to the ship? Maki fingered her crystal necklace absentmindedly as the day wore on, testing every theory as to why she had lived. Easily her favorite was that she was a super human. That had its merits, but it didn't last long against pure logic.

Dinner time finally rolled around, and the medic eventually fled in search of food. Maki found herself searching her mind for entertainment when somebody returned to the sick bay. She propped herself up on her elbows to properly see who it was, but was quite surprised when Iroh walked in, Zuko trailing behind him. The fire prince looked quite irritated with the situation. He no longer wore armor and was being forced to carry a bowl full of what Maki assumed to be soup.

"Miss Maki! So glad to see you are well!" Iroh scurried over to her cot. Zuko followed, but his frown was more noticeable than ever. Maki bit back a laugh at the sight before turning to Iroh. The old general smiled slightly, "We brought you some soup, as you can see. It's not as good as the stuff you make but one can still eat it." He laughed, causing his nephew's scowl to deepen.

"Uncle," snapped Zuko suddenly. Both Maki and Iroh looked up, eyebrows raised at the prince, "Would you mind getting to the point as to why we actually showed up? If you are going to socialize then I shall leave right now."

Maki narrowed her eyes at Zuko before returning her gaze to Iroh, "You mean you didn't come to chat and bring me food? I'm crushed. Thanks for the soup though," she wasn't really shocked, but sat up abruptly and began to spoon at her meal nonetheless, "So then, why did you come here?"

"We wanted to ask you a few questions, Miss Maki," Iroh looked grave all of a sudden.

"And we want the complete truth this time," added Zuko acidly. Maki just blinked at him in confusion.

"Thank you, prince Zuko," said Iroh, "So then, where are you from? Do not leave anything out this time; the smallest detail may make the greatest difference."

Maki sighed reluctantly. They probably weren't going to believe her, but what else could she do? Iroh had demanded answers, and she respected the general too much to try and trick him.

"I'm from earth, just like you are-"

"We are not from the Earth Kingdom," interrupted Zuko, thus earning himself a death glare.

"Don't get so insulted. I meant that I'm from the planet earth. I don't even know what the Earth Kingdom is. I mean, it's like, a store or something, right? Anyway, this'll probably sound dumb but I'm from the future," Maki tried to ignore the dumbstruck looks from Iroh and Zuko, "No, really, I am. I think my necklace brought me back here. How it did it, I have no idea. All I want is to get home." With that, she folded her arms. It took all of Maki's self control to remain straight-faced. Inside, she was panicking. The odds that they believed her were so low it was scary just to think about it.

"Good enough."

Maki whipped her head around to find Iroh smiling at her and Zuko looking at his uncle as though questioning his sanity.

"You're joking."

"No, no, I wouldn't joke about something such as this," the old general chuckled, "It makes perfect sense. The way you talk, your strange customs, the fact that you didn't get all nervous around prince Zuko," another chuckle at this, "Especially the way you cook. It all fits perfectly."

Maki fell back against the back of her cot, unable to believe her luck. How her story made sense, she had no idea, but she wasn't going to complain. Maki was content as long as they didn't think she was insane and toss her overboard. This new feeling of relief was suddenly pushed aside in the face of curiosity. Maki turned to face Iroh as old questions resurfaced. Questions about her crystal in particular. Maki propped herself up on her elbows once again and gazed at the two firebenders.

"Thanks for believing me, General Iroh. Honestly," From the corner of her eye, she spotted Zuko leaving the room in a huff. Maki had a sudden impression that he felt guilty about something as he brushed past. Her hand didn't seem to care about this. Maki was surprised when it shot up and grabbed the fire prince's arm and she spoke, "Don't you have something to say to me?"

"What are you talking about?" snapped Zuko.

"I'm pretty sure I saved your life," Maki raised her eyebrows, "You could at least thank me."

"Not likely," Zuko wrenched his arm from her grip and strode toward the door. Maki felt her jaw drop in unmitigated fury.

"You're lucky I don't give you another injury you arrogant little-"

"Now, now, there isn't any reason to fight," interrupted Iroh cautiously. Maki looked over to find that the general had gotten to his feet, ready for disaster the two teens might stir up.

"Don't worry yourself, Uncle," Zuko was smirking down at Maki. The girl was sitting up, her face contorted with stubborn rage as the prince kept needling, "It's not like she can do anything to me without her precious water around."

Maki was ready to explode, but in the heat of her fury, a simple fact came floating to the surface of her mind. Her snarl morphed into a sly smile. Sometimes it paid to come from the future if Maki knew things that Zuko didn't. She sat up as high as she could, determined to be eye level with the arrogant prince. "Oh, there's water around here, you just can't see it," she said. Maki let her mind wander off in the prince's direction until she sensed the water that made up his body. She raised a hand and concentrated. Iroh and Zuko merely stared before the youth's feet left the floor.

"AAAAH!"

Maki let him drop. Since the prince hadn't been ready for floating or falling, he fell flat on his bum. Iroh looked ready to faint there and then from what he had just seen as Zuko jumped to his feet. The youth's face was beet red, but he didn't seem to notice as he rounded on Maki. The girl managed to look completely unfazed by being faced by an angry firebender. Heck, she even managed to look smug as Zuko started ranting.

"I knew you were a witch! You're leaving this ship the next time we dock- or no, we could just pitch you overboard right now."

"Nope, not a witch, although that would be useful," Maki said brightly, "That was just waterbending. Did I get the term right?"

"Like hell it was. There's no way a waterbender could lift a person into the air like that." snarled Zuko.

"The body is three-quarters water, genius. All I needed to do is move the water that makes up your body to make you move." Maki folded her arms across her chest. Zuko seemed to think that she was going to say something else, as he waited a moment before opening his mouth to yell some more. Only then did Iroh come to the rescue. He ordered his nephew to go to the mess hall, which resulted in Zuko storming out and slamming the door behind him. Maki could only smirk with satisfaction at having freaked out the arrogant prince, but it was quickly pushed aside by nervousness. Iroh had sat next to her cot and was peering at her with an unfathomable expression. Maki felt herself deflating slightly under his gaze, "I wasn't trying to hurt him, I swear. It's just-"

"I know you weren't," said Iroh gravely, "But you should not judge prince Zuko so harshly, he is not always this temperamental."

Maki quirked her head and frowned, but the old general didn't waver.

"You say that you do not know about this world, and I believe you. But you will not be safe anywhere unless you are informed. We should probably get some tea started, Miss Maki. There is much that I must tell you…"

* * *

**Just because the fact that Maki managed to fend off assassins might weird out somebody, you should know a few things. 1: Survival instinct and fastreflexes are a deadly combination when your life is threatened.Makinot only posesses strong instinct and fast reflexes, but she's agile as heck.Therefore she can kick much arse.2: The human body is indeed 75 water, but bending that water withoutdamaging the bodywouldprolly require extreme concentration, which is why Maki didn't do it during the attack. Instinct doesn't exactly count as concentration.**

**Science-ish ramble done. TA! xD**


	4. The Crows Nest

**I dont own Avatar. I do, however, own the crystal that inspired the story. -**

**Thanks so much to Petitio Principii andSeethingxShadows for reviewing! huggles It makes me actually want to keep writing this stuff instead of just playing it in my head like a bad cartoon.I gotta say though, whoever thought of waterbending didn't know how badass it could be. There's water in almost everything, you just need to know how to control it. It's actually a very useful way to freak out pigheaded firebenders. .**

**Sad to say that this isn't my absolute favorite chapter. Some of it's corny and punnyand therefore makes no sense, but it gets a few things out of the way and keeps the plot moving. Things will pick up after this. I promise.**

* * *

Maki couldn't get to sleep. Although her body was tired beyond compare, her mind would simply not rest. It kept going over what Iroh had told her mere hours before. The four elements, water, fire, earth, and air, and the fact that some people could control these elements kept bobbing around. The concept of the Avatar brought much curiosity, although just thinking about being the global peacemaker made her nauseous. Especially considering what was going on. Maki couldn't help being disturbed by the fact that she had fallen into the middle of a war. Why on earth did the Fire Nation invade the others when they had been getting along so peacefully before? Or more importantly, why did her stupid necklace have to go and drop her in the middle of it? Iroh couldn't answer that, or any of her questions about said crystal. He had just shaken his head and looked as lost as she felt. 

"I am afraid that I will not be able to tell you until I know more about it myself. Do not take this as an insult, Miss Maki, but the little I know would only confuse and possibly frighten you. It was mentioned in a tale I was told in my childhood, but the details are hazy. I shall say nothing of the matter until I know more."

And that was it. Iroh was true to his word in not saying a single thing about her crystal, no matter her much Maki needled. So she settled for a less irksome subject, why a teenager had control of a warship. Maki actually felt her anger begin to lessen when Iroh had said that he couldn't return home unless he found and captured the Avatar. It was surprising that she could feel anything for the prince that wasn't loathing. Now she actually felt a little sorry for him, at least when he wasn't threatening her. That guy had lines on his face that no teenager should have. Maki felt a frown slide across her face as she turned over for what felt like the millionth time. Iroh had refused to say a thing about the scar that so plagued her curiosity.

Sleep would not come. With a reluctant sigh, Maki rolled out of bed. She wrapped a blanket around her slender frame and headed to the deck. Her brain prodded her to stay put, it was cold out and she would probably be too tired to cook or clean that day, but Maki found that none of this mattered.

She finally found the deck after a few seconds of wandering the ship, and the sight nearly blew Maki away. There was something beautiful about the ocean at night. The soothing sound of crashing waves put her mind at ease as she leaned against the railing, sound harmonizing with sight. Maki felt her mind drifting into nirvana that was soon crushed by movement across the deck. Her head snapped around so fast that her neck cricked, but she took no notice. Squinting through the darkness, Maki could make out the prince's silhouette. He was standing about halfway across the deck and staring at the sea in a trance similar to her own. Her mind let loose a tirade of questions that remained unsaid as Maki returned her gaze to the sea. Zuko didn't seem to have noticed her anyway. Besides, it was probably better if Maki left him alone. Curiosity may be strong, but the need to stay free of injury overpowered that instinct.

Unfortunately, it was Zuko who spotted her. The prince walked over and stood glaring at her for a few minutes before leaning against the rail. Maki contented herself to ignore him, being glared at wasn't anything unusual these days. They stood like that for several minutes, Maki watching the water and Zuko glaring. Though she found herself unaffected by his presence, the prince seemed unable to take the silence.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching the sea," Maki didn't look up, "It helps me think."

"Don't try to fool me, waterbender, I know you're up to something," Zuko's glaring intensified, but he was forced to pick another topic when Maki didn't respond, "Why are you out here? You were not assigned to keep watch."

"And you were?" Maki found herself giggling slightly, a sure sign of insomnia in her case, "Actually, I just couldn't sleep. What about you?"

Zuko glared at her. Maki shrugged and watched the sky. The warm colors of dawn were beginning to leak into the deep navy that was the night sky, growing stronger by the minute. It was only then that it dawned on her. ((cough Pardon the pun.)) Her lip curled upward smugly as she smiled at Zuko. His head snapped around at their eyes met, but Maki didn't waver.

"You came here to watch the sun rise, didn't you?"

"How much _did_ my uncle tell you!" he asked exasperatedly. Maki laughed.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. I just guessed," she shrugged and returned her gaze to the flood of color that was the rising sun. Zuko snorted and glared at her suspiciously, but said no more. The warm colors began to dominate the sky bit by bit before the prince turned on his heel and strode toward the upper deck. Maki's head snapped around as she watched him grab the first rung of the ladder.

"Where are you going?"

Zuko didn't answer, he didn't even look back. Maki sighed to herself as curiosity got the better of her. Gripping her blanket more tightly around her body, she raced after him through the gaggle of crew members that were beginning to file out to their posts. Zuko didn't seem to notice this, or the fact that she was following him up the ladder. If he was, he was doing a magnificent job ignoring her. Maki clenched her teeth as he vanished from view, curiosity growing by the second. Only when she reached the top of the ladder did she see his destination.

Zuko glared at her as she clambered onto the roof of the uppermost deck. Maki's eyes were wide at the scene. The view was beautiful from up here. Light blues were tinged with pinks and oranges as sunlight streaked across the sky. Fluffy clouds were floating into view, their shadows casting a bizarre yet elegant curtain over the sea. Maki's amazement at this stunning sight was cut short by Zuko's harsh inquiry.

"You really aren't from around here, are you?"

She looked down at him. The prince was peering at her with an almost curious expression lurking beneath his usual scowl. Maki tilted her head. "Err, no. Why?"

"I have never seen somebody so fascinated by a sunrise," said Zuko.

"There aren't sunrises like this where I come from. I lived in a city, so it was usually covered up by fog or smoke. I haven't seen one like this since I was little…" said Maki quietly. She sat down next to Zuko, wincing as pain shot through the knife wound in her torso. It didn't help that there wasn't much choice of seating either. The upper deck she now recognized as the crows nest beingbuilt for one person. Silence ensued once more, as did the wait for sunrise. Maki's dislike of silence was strong enough to make her talk.

"Why do you hate waterbenders?"

Zuko shot her a look, genuinely surprised by this question.

"What are you talking about?" he asked suspiciously.

"I asked why you hated waterbenders," said Maki again, "I don't have anywhere else to go, you might as well tell me if I'm to stay on this ship."

"I have nothing against them. They are merely barbaric people who foolishly live in a frigid hellscape and control a weak element," Zuko said this all very quickly. Maki couldn't help but wonder if he'd practiced this response beforehand, it seemed so rehearsed.

"Not all waterbenders 'foolishly live in a frigid hellscape', you know."

"Oh really?" his lip curled in a sneer, "Name one."

"You're lookin' at her."

Maki felt a grin spread across her face at Zuko's expression. He had allowed himself to be backed into a corner by pure logic. He really must have been tired to let that happen. Despite this, he accepted defeat with grace and said no more. A hand emerged from within the confines of Maki's blanket and poked him hard on a part of his arm that was armor free.

"Don't worry about it. You're not the only one who needs more sleep." A smile accompanied these words, and it was an actual smile as well. No more was the sugar coated leer, Maki was making a rare attempt at sincerity. Had Zukoknown how rare this actually was, he might have been surprised. Instead, he shot her a glare and muttered something about weirdo's on his ship before returning to his staring. Evidently Zuko was deep in thought, as he stared aimlessly at the ocean until…

"Thank you. Are you satisfied?"

Maki blinked. That had come out of nowhere.

"Oh! Yeah, I guess so," she said. Maki decided not to mention she'd forgotten about the incident back in the infirmary, but perhaps she could weasel a bit more information out of him, "Uhm, just out of curiosity, why do you have that scar?"

Zuko's head snapped around as he looked at her. Maki recoiled slightly, already regretting asking about it.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked suspiciously.

"Your uncle didn't tell me," Maki let out a small sight of relief, but still found the situation decidedly awkward, "And I was just wondering. You don't have to answer." She added quickly. Zuko's expression was growing stonier by the second, at which Maki decided it was better to just keep quiet. She didn't even expect him to answer, but assumptions weren't always right.

"Maki, if you really want to know, I got it before I was banished," he said flatly. Maki looked up in surprise, but suppressed the hundred or so questions that had arisen in her mind. He had not only answered in the first place, or at least part of it, but he had said her name. It was strangely satisfying to know that she wasn't just 'waterbender' anymore.

It was only then that Maki realized that her legs had gone numb. The only feeling she had left was in her hands that kept the blanket wrapped around her body. She tried to wiggle her toes, but all her concentration could only muster a twitch. Crap. Her feet had fallen asleep. It would be a few minutes before Maki could so much as move her foot, let alone walk. Clutching the blanket around her body, Maki's eyes flickered between the ocean and the sky. She glanced at the prince every now and then, only to be amused by what she saw. He didn't look even remotely threatening anymore, just kind of blank. It was like he was thinking about something she couldn't dream of comprehending. Though the violent façade had dissolved, Maki leaned against the opposite railing as a precaution anyhow. She suddenly realized that she was at peace for the first time in ages and bit back a laugh at the realization.

At long last, a sliver of light peeked above the horizon as she buried her chin in the folds of her blanket. Maki felt an excited chill run up her spine at the mind boggling beauty. The appearance of the sun had brought with it a plethora of color. Though she wanted to watch the transition from night to day, Maki found she couldn't keep her retinas from getting burnt unless she looked away. She did so, but reluctantly. Zuko didn't divert his gaze at all; he just sort of squinted at the sunrise. Maki raised an eyebrow and prodded him in the shoulder.

"Quit staring at it. You're going to ruin your eyesight."

He frowned, but, much to her surprise, stopped watching the sunrise. Zuko turned narrowed eyes onto Maki, who promptly leaned farther away. He hadn't tried any pyrotechnics on her yet, but one could never tell.

"Stop poking me. It's irritating," he said, scowling, "And why do you keep leaning away? You're going to fall off, andI'd prefer it if my cook didn't lounge around the infirmary when she isn't hurt again."

Makilooked at him. Something about the way he had said that had been insulting. Perhaps it was because Zuko had stressed the words 'my cook', or because he didn't seem to give a crap about whether or not she got hurt or not. But that didn't quite matter any more. All she knew was that she had gone from tranquil to furious in about three seconds. Mustering all the strength she had,Maki forced her numb legs into action and stood up. Her face was a mask of rage as she glared down at Zuko. The prince looked positively astonished by this sudden mood swing. Truth be told, Maki didn't know where it had come either. But that was beside the point.

"You know, every time I think that living on this stupid dinghy of yours might be bearable, you manage to prove me wrong. I hope your happy,_ Prince_ Zuko," she stressed his title, oozing sarcasm, "Because I'm not making breakfast. Get one of your men to do it." With this, Maki strode the foot or so toward the edge of the crow's nest and began to climb down that ladder. Just before her head disappeared, Maki paused to glare once more at the prince, "And for the record, I keep leaning away because I don't trust you to not incinerate me with that stupid firebending of yours."

Satisfied that she had properly chastised the boy she had once thought could be civil, Maki stuck out her tongue, slid down the ladder, and stalked below deck.

* * *

Zuko kneaded his forehead and sipped at the tea his uncle had prepared for him. No matter how much he tried to avoid it, the conflict erupting within his mind refused to be subdued. Nor did it help that the mess hall was empty and food nowhere in sight. Lieutenant Toshi had, once again, been the only other one willing to cook. But that had been out of the question when he suggested a recipe involving bacon and artichokes. 

After a quick scan of the kitchen, Zuko had also deduced that he had no idea how to cook either. This pretty much set him off. He might have respected the girl, however grudging this respect may be, for holding her own. But it was his ship. _He_ was supposed to be in charge of whether or not life fell apart, not some stupid waterbender from the future. Zuko let out a furious snort of flame that scorched the table and clenched his teacup so hard that it started to crack. That girl was going to get it when he found her, but, much to his irritation, Maki was nowhere to be found. It irritated him yet more by the fact that she too managed to evade him. As if having the Avatar escape wasn't enough, now he couldn't find a woman on his own ship. Amidst all this turmoil, Zuko found himself disturbed when he realized that he was bothered by her parting words. The fact that she didn't trust him had made something deep inside him squirm uncomfortably. As baffled by this as he was by this, the fact that she refused to cook was top priority.

"Are you all right, prince Zuko?"

The youth looked up to find General Iroh standing over him with a concerned look on his face. Zuko stood up, glaring at his uncle.

"Does it look like I'm all right?" he snapped. Iroh raised an eyebrow but said nothing as the fire prince strode toward the door. Zuko suddenly stopped when he remembered that his uncle had taken a slight liking to the girl, pivoting to face the old general. "Uncle, tell me the truth. Have you seen that waterbender since this morning?"

Iroh was taken aback by the fact that his best pai-sho opponent was 'that waterbender' again, but shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. May I ask why you are looking for her?"

"You might not have noticed, but we have nothing to eat," said Zuko acidly. His temper flared, the temptation to take out his rage on his uncle growing until steam began to rise from his body. But a single stern look from Iroh shook Zuko enough to subdue this sudden outburst. "Never mind. Just tell me if you see her." Zuko snapped before striding from the room, thus leaving Iroh even more bemused by the two teenagers than before.

The fire prince seemed to burn a hole in the floor with his gaze as he strode down the hall. His mind was being bombarded once again with everything he had hoped to avoid, and Zuko couldn't come up with a solution to any of it. He shot a small fireball in no particular direction and watched moodily as it hit a door to his left. Zuko raised an eyebrow as the parchment attached to its surface burst into flame and fell to the floor. He peered down at the sign labeled "KEEP OUT", recognizing Maki's miniscule handwriting and goofy doodle before it was devoured by the flame. Zuko cursed himself. He was being stupid for letting some waterbender get him all worked up like this.

With a final snort of flame, Zuko pivoted around and headed back toward the upper deck. It was nearing midday and the crew would be heading in for lunch around now, so he could probably blow off some steam in peace. At least until the men found out that Maki wasn't cooking, which should prove amusing until they placed the blame on him for angering her. A slight smirk flickered across his marred face, but vanished as he stepped onto the deck.

"What the…"

Zuko craned his neck upward, jaw clenching in fury. A monstrous ship was circling his like a predator circles its prey. From the corner of his eye, Zuko could see a red clad soldier signaling for them to throw a rope.

"Ah, I see Admiral Zhao has come to visit."

The youth glared at his uncle. "I will not allow that scum aboard my ship again," he said acidly, "Turn the ship around and head east."

"But prince Zuko-"

"I will NOT have him on my ship!" hissed Zuko. He whirled around, fighting the urge to start flaming anything and everything in sight, and then stopped. Zuko narrowed his eyes at thearmor clad before him. The admiral smirked down at him, reveling in the fact that the young prince could do almost nothing to stop him. Between finding the Avatar and having a reluctant cook, Zuko had enough problems as it was, so it really didn't help to have Admiral Zhao leering down at him.

It was going to be a veryinteresting day, to say the least.


End file.
